Can’t imagine how things will be when isolation stops…

[DontWantTheRivalry]

I don’t have any symptoms yet this is still my viral load.

Im on Day 5 and haven’t really been ill with it, I was run down on days 0 and 1 but otherwise I’ve felt myself so I can’t believe how strong my line still is.

My husband also had Covid but his LFT yesterday and today (days 5 and 6) were negative so he’s returned to normal. Yet, even though I’m still testing positive really strongly and his are negative, he’d the one who got hit really hard by symptoms and he still has that awful barking cough.

It’s a virus that just doesn’t make any sense.

So yes, I can’t imagine the time where asymptomatic people who are still highly infectious are just walking around like normal.

I’m really hoping the contagiousness of the variant has dramatically reduced by that time otherwise it’s just going to spread like wildfire isn’t it.

Mind you, it already is.

Maybe the Government is thinking everyone will have had the virus by the time the stopping of isolation hits so the risks of passing it on are less serious?

@containsnuts

I think the point is that the legal requirement to isolate will end but there will still be a social expectation that you do. Like with measles or whooping cough, it's not socially acceptable to carry on about your business knowingly spreading a potentially dangerous disease.

But when free testing ends it will end those who routinely test asymptotically so only those with proper symptoms will be testing. The majority of people won’t know they have COVID. We all test twice a week currently. Neither my son or daughter would have isolated without a test as they had no symptoms. It will be a case of those who are unwell isolating and others carrying on by default as most cases won’t be known about.

“My husband also had Covid but his LFT yesterday and today (days 5 and 6) were negative so he’s returned to normal. Yet, even though I’m still testing positive really strongly and his are negative, he’d the one who got hit really hard by symptoms and he still has that awful barking cough.

It’s a virus that just doesn’t make any sense.”

I don’t think it’s that it’s a virus that doesn’t make sense - it’s just that you’re expecting LFTs to tell you something that they probably can’t on an individual basis. Viruses have always affected different people differently but we don’t usually test extensively at home or pay such close attention to days and symptom progression

@BooksAndHooks

Yes, like just now there will always be people who don't realise they have it, and people who can't or won't test and isolate. Those who suspect they have it will be encouraged to isolate but not forced to do so by law. It'll be about slowing the spread where possible, not about stopping it altogether.

I might be wrong but testing positive on the lft is not necessarily the same as still being contagious? I thought scientists had reported that from day 5 iirc you were likely to be less infectious. I thought that's why, when you have had covid previously you were advised not to test again for 90 days.

I agree to some extent about not making asymptomatic people isolate but I worry abiut the pressure companies will put on symptomatic employees to come back to work. I have had Covid twice mildly. Felt fine the second time at my 10 days but really struggled after a few days back at my hectic job.

I had a shirty message from a client on day 7 (I still was testing positive) saying I thought isolation was only 7 days now?
I had been working at home anyway but they needed me in person.

I’ve been told that if I’m still testing positing on an LFT on Day 10 then I just need to ring my Manager so a “plan can be put in place.”

(I’m an NHS Worker)

I understand they have to be more cautious with us but I’m absolutely fine and desperate to go to work. I felt slightly unwell on Days 0 and 1 but otherwise I can function as normal.

It just seems like such a waste of time to be away from work when I feel absolutely fine.

Tomorrow will be Day 6 for me so I’m really hoping my LFTs will soon start fading and I can be back at work on Monday (Day 10).

Like with measles or whooping cough, it's not socially acceptable to carry on about your business knowingly spreading a potentially dangerous disease.

Sure. But loads of people who have COVID and can spread it have no symptoms. That's not the case with measles, where asymptomatic cases are very rare (plus, it has a good sterilizing vaccine).

So spread of COVID is pretty much inevitable going forward.

I know someone still testing positive on day 17…..

@DontWantTheRivalry

I’ve been told that if I’m still testing positing on an LFT on Day 10 then I just need to ring my Manager so a “plan can be put in place.”

(I’m an NHS Worker)

I understand they have to be more cautious with us but I’m absolutely fine and desperate to go to work. I felt slightly unwell on Days 0 and 1 but otherwise I can function as normal.

It just seems like such a waste of time to be away from work when I feel absolutely fine.

Tomorrow will be Day 6 for me so I’m really hoping my LFTs will soon start fading and I can be back at work on Monday (Day 10).

That's ridiculous! There should be no need for 'a plan' as after 10 full days of isolation you are no longer contagious, but your body may still produce positive tests for a while.

Everyone over 12 has had the opportunity to have vaccines. IMO life needs to go back to normal now and anyone who has refused a vaccine or is unable to accept for medical reasons need to do their own risk assessments and take measures to protect themselves accordingly.

People who are perfectly well should not be in enforced isolation because a tests says there is a virus present. People who are unwell should take necessary steps to avoid passing that illness around.

That's ridiculous! There should be no need for 'a plan' as after 10 full days of isolation you are no longer contagious, but your body may still produce positive tests for a while.

I just assumed they were being more cautious because I work with vulnerable people.

I did another LFT this morning and thankfully my line is much lighter than my one (now on Day 6)

[quote user1497207191]@itsgettingweird

I think there needs to be a very quick change of societal view to sickness absence from work. If people didn't feel pressured to go in then we probably wouldn't have illness spreading so much. Which also means reviewing 0 hours contracts and sick pay.

I think we need to restore the ability of employers to reclaim sick pay from the govt. It was a big mistake for the govt to place the burden of paying sick pay entirely at the foot of the employer, especially smaller employers less able to soak it up.

We also need to look at some form of sick pay for self employed, freelancers, zero hours workers, "gig" economy workers etc., who aren't currently eligible for sick pay at all.

Obviously rates of sick pay are stupidly low for those entitled.

We need a change in policy to increase the rate of sick pay (80% of pay would be good like furlough), and extend it to workers not currently eligible.[/quote]
Yes, the UKs piss poor sick pay provisions were a disgrace long before covid. And it's beyond appalling that for nearly two years now we've had laws criminalising people who don't isolate with covid but with no corresponding right to financial support. There are people who were symptomatic with covid, let alone all the asymptomatic ones, who went into work and lied to their employers because it was that or not keep a roof over their heads.

Thanks @FrankieBoyleSezLoveOneAnother ! Sorry to hear you were ill with it too!

Sorry for jumping on here , it seemed like the best place I have found for this question.

For the first person in the household to test positive, after their time is up is there anyway they can pass on the virus if others in the household are now positive?

This is already happening. Even if they test, half of asymptomatic people get a false negative. And many people who test positive will have been contagious around town before that.

I don't think you will actually see much difference.

@bluetongue

I mean we all probably have all kinds of viruses asymptomatically or with very mild symptoms all the time and just don’t realise as we don’t test for everything like we test for Covid (thank god).

Does it matter if people are walking around that have Covid and don’t realise it? You just have to stop thinking in terms of needing to know where all the cases are. It doesn’t matter anymore.

Exactly this. It just seems like a waste of time testing now tbh.

I ran out of lateral flows ages ago and don't plan on getting anymore ever again 🤷‍♀️ I've probably walked around with it asymptomatically or mildly and not know. Can't say I care anymore.

@containsnuts

I think the point is that the legal requirement to isolate will end but there will still be a social expectation that you do. Like with measles or whooping cough, it's not socially acceptable to carry on about your business knowingly spreading a potentially dangerous disease.

I guess it will come down to the fact of how you expect people to know.

Unless you're suggesting testing should continue forever more, how would an asymptomatic or mild carrier know?

Most people isolate naturally when they are poorly. They don't just for a scratchy throat and a sniffle or for no symptoms at all. The only reason that's been happening is because of tests and I reckon for most people they will go out the window along with the requirement to isolate.

Dh got cold symptoms on Thursday. Neg lft that night,,positive pcr on Fri. He tested today ‘to see’ on an lft and it was really dark - there’s no way he’ll be coming out of isolation early,?but he’s barely got any symptoms and not ill enough to be off work in normal circs. Covid will be treated like any illness soon I’m sure.

containsnuts
"I think the point is that the legal requirement to isolate will end but there will still be a social expectation that you do. Like with measles or whooping cough, it's not socially acceptable to carry on about your business knowingly spreading a potentially dangerous disease."

TheFrogAndHen
"I guess it will come down to the fact of how you expect people to know."

Unless you're suggesting testing should continue forever more, how would an asymptomatic or mild carrier know?

Most people isolate naturally when they are poorly. They don't just for a scratchy throat and a sniffle or for no symptoms at all. The only reason that's been happening is because of tests and I reckon for most people they will go out the window along with the requirement to isolate."

Even now most people don't know they have covid, but for those with certain symptoms they can suspect covid and isolate if possible. Like with noro - few are tested for it but during an outbreak of sickness in a school, it's assumed to be noro and the advice is to keep a puking child off school for 48 hrs. There's no legal requirement to do this but it's just what people do if they can. I think that's how covid will be handled going forward just like other diseases. The aim being to slow the spread where possible not stop it altogether.